Whom I will cause so far our guilt to share, Till they are made our champions by their fear. What opposition can your rival bring, While sanhedrims[365] are jealous of the king? His strength as yet in David's friendship lies, And what can David's self without supplies? Who with exclusive bills must now dispense, Debar the heir, or starve in his defence; Conditions which our elders ne'er will quit, And David's justice never can admit. Or, forced by wants his brother to betray, To your ambition next he clears the way; For if succession once to nought they bring, Their next advance removes the present king: Persisting else his senates to dissolve, In equal hazard shall his reign involve. Our tribes, whom Pharaoh's power so much alarms, Shall rise without their prince to oppose his arms. Nor boots it on what cause at first they join; Their troops, once up, are tools for our design. At least such subtle covenants shall be made, Till peace itself is war in masquerade. Associations of mysterious sense, Against, but seeming for, the king's defence,[366] Even on their courts of justice fetters draw, And from our agents muzzle up their law. By which a conquest if we fail to make, 'Tis a drawn game at worst, and we secure our stake. He said, and for the dire success depends On various sects, by common guilt made friends; Whose heads, though ne'er so differing in their creed, I' th' point of treason yet were well agreed. Amongst these, extorting Ishban[367] first appears, Pursued by a meagre troop of bankrupt heirs. Blest times, when Ishban, he whose occupation So long has been to cheat, reforms the nation! Ishban, of conscience suited to his trade, As good a saint as usurer ever made. Yet Mammon has not so engrost him quite, But Belial lays as large a claim of spite; Who, for those pardons from his prince he draws, Returns reproaches, and cries up the cause. That year in which the city he did sway, He left rebellion in a hopeful way; Yet his ambition once was found so bold, To offer talents of extorted gold, (Could David's wants have so been bribed,) to shame And scandalize our peerage with his name; For which, his dear sedition he'd forswear, And e'en turn loyal, to be made a peer. Next him, let railing Rabsheka have[368] place, So full of zeal he has no need of grace; A saint that can both flesh and spirit use, Alike haunt conventicles and the stews; Of whom the question difficult appears, If most i' th' preacher's or the bawd's arrears. What caution could appear too much in him, That keeps the treasure of Jerusalem! Let David's brother but approach the town, Double our guards, he cries, we are undone.[369] Protesting that he dares not sleep in's bed, Lest he should rise next morn without his head.